French Elite Special Operations soldiers drive through the town of Markala, about 275 km (171 miles) from the capital Bamako, January 15, 2013, to meet Malian soldiers and organize a counter-attack in the jihadist-held town of Diabaly. France will end its intervention in Mali only once stability has returned to the West African country, French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday, raising the prospects of a costly, drawn-out operation against al Qaeda-linked rebels. REUTERS/Francois Rihouay (MALI - Tags: POLITICS MILITARY CIVIL UNREST CONFLICT)

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REUTERS

France is sending more troops to Mali, and other nations in the region are pledging to send their own soldiers to help fight the Islamist rebels that threaten the Malian government.